The People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA) has bestowed its highest award for colleagues, the Edward Bridges Webb Memorial Award, to Dr Sean Wensley, BVSc, MSc, FRCVS.
As senior vet for animal welfare and professional engagement at PDSA, Sean has been recognised for his efforts, not only to the charity, but to the sector and animal welfare.
Sean Wensley has dedicated his career to improving pets’ lives, working at PDSA since 2008, and is one of the UK’s leading advocates for companion animal welfare.
The award remembers Edward Bridges Webb, who played a major part in carrying PDSA forward after the founder, Maria Dickin passed away.
The award is given for an exceptional contribution over an extended period and presented to those who show outstanding dedication to the charity.
Sean Wensley qualified from Liverpool University, and holds a Master’s degree from Edinburgh University in Applied Animal Behaviour and Animal Welfare.
On top of his work at PDSA, Sean was also made a fellow of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons in 2018 for his meritorious contributions to the veterinary profession.
He is an honorary lecturer in animal welfare at the University of Nottingham and at Queen’s University Belfast, as well as author of the recently published “Through A Vet’s Eyes: How to care for animals and treat them better”.
Alongside his dedication to his profession at PDSA, Sean Wensley has contributed to animal welfare and conservation projects around the world and produced scientific papers advocating animal welfare and ethics in practice.
In 2017, he received the inaugural World Veterinary Association (WVA) Global Animal Welfare Award for Europe. He is a former president of the British Veterinary Association (BVA) and recent chair of the animal welfare working group of the Federation of Veterinarians of Europe.
Richard Hooker, director of veterinary services at PDSA said: “For the past 15 years, Sean Wensley has worked tirelessly for PDSA, for the profession and as a strong advocate for the pets we treat.
“Through his work across the profession and wider animal welfare sector he ensures that awareness of PDSA is raised among many audiences and that our impacts and achievements as an organisation are recognised and celebrated.
“Furthermore, the leadership he shows in animal welfare is an important engagement activity for our clinical teams – reassuring them that the issues which they encounter in our hospitals on a daily basis, are raised to the pet-owning public and helps to demonstrate that PDSA is actively working to improve and prevent adverse welfare impacts.
“Sean has undertaken one of the most influential and ambassadorial roles for PDSA. He has inspired and motivated others, often bringing discussions back to the core purpose, with his own unique, unassuming, and persuasive manner.
“He is always modest about the contribution he makes to PDSA, but makes this outstanding contribution in a quiet, but incredibly effective way.
“We sincerely thank Sean for his unfaltering dedication to PDSA and for animal welfare.”
Sean Wensley said: “To have been a part of PDSA, a veterinary charity that is admired by colleagues around the world, for 15 years, has been a privilege, and I am humbled and grateful for this recognition.
“While I’m fortunate to be able to advocate companion animal welfare to numerous external audiences, I do so with the support of, and on behalf of, the entire veterinary team across our 48 pet hospitals, and I accept it with recognition and gratitude to all of them.”
Sean’s efforts were recognised earlier this year, when he was awarded the J. A. Wight Memorial Award at the British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA) Congress – the award is granted to a vet who has made an outstanding contribution to the welfare of companion animals.
PDSA is hugely grateful to Sean Wensley and all of his fellow dedicated colleagues across the UK and relies on them to continue to provide its life-saving services to people and pets in need.
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